Experiencing such emotions is an indicator of intellectual awareness. Also, it is an innate response. However, there are times when feeling depressed is not merely a human reflex. Rather, it is an abnormal mental condition with several risk factors, clinical features, and various types such as post-natal depression.
Depression is a mood disorder that culminates in feeling persistent sadness and indifference towards being alive. Although the cause of such condition is yet to be fully determined, mental health researchers have linked the development of depression to several risk factors, one of which is gender. According to the World Health Organization, women are more susceptible to developing depression than men. (1) Moreover, post-natal depression, commonly referred to as postpartum depression (PPD), is a type of depression that is prevalent among women. …show more content…
It manifests in mothers within the 12 months that follow delivery. (2) Also, mothers who suffer from PPD feel fatigued, insomniac, agitated, tearful, anxious, and many other symptoms similar to those of depression. Thus, they find it difficult and nearly impossible to care for their newborns and to cater to their needs, and as a consequence, mothers also feel guilty for not being capable of handling motherhood. Furthermore, if PPD goes undiagnosed and untreated, it may progress to four adverse stages, and they are: post-natal obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-natal panic disorder, post-natal post traumatic stress, and post-natal